Window channel



Aug. 8, 1933. Q P SCHLEGEL 1,921,484`

wINDQw CHANNEL FiledfMarch 5, 1932 .W/ WMM?, l*

l v L/zs ATTORNEY Patented ug, 1933 isp STATES l 1,921,4:34 wnmow ohm r.l Schlegel, Rochester, N. r., signor u The ySchlegel Manufacturing Company, Eocheater, N. Y., a. Corporation oi' New York Anpassung-'Merch 5, rose. send No. 593,946

The present invention relates to window chunnels und particularly to .those adapted to support the sli gloss window of on automobile, although the invention is spplicsble to other types oi windows.

One oblect of the invention is the provision oi e chunnel oi the cless described comprising e substontielly rigid channel member which may be een nosed, without substantially el gl@ its channel shone, so es to lit window o y dierent curvetures. I

Anot er object is the provision of such n chan.-

nel member ci motel or other substantially rigid materiel so formed es to facilitate ben to i5 curved nt dierent curvstures.

Still another object is the provision oi' such c chel which is pl in appearance, simple in construction, und eiective in use. v

To there sind other ends the invention resides o@ in oertein `improvements und combinations oi l ports, ell es be hereinafter more i der'- scribed, the. novel lectures being pointed out in the' ot the end oi the specification. in thedre-Wins' :'y

body equipped with s eel member construct ed in .eccordence with the present invention;

lllg. 2 is s irentery vertical sectiouel view through one of the window iremos illustrated in g@ Fis. i, on s lesser scolo, showing the relation of the clil member thereto;

Flo. s is c 'bottom view oi e window channel constructed in accordance with one m nu o the invention;

Fis. d is e perspective view of the chel il lustrum it, on u larger scelethei zo motorini being overl to show more clearly th clinrnioiJ construction;

t esicleelevetion view of another medie so ilcetion; .r

Fig. o is e honors view or the channel illus tinted in t;

'i is s verticsl sectional vies' taken t= Viiliy mit@ time HUSMG. in F188. 5 Een@ is t substentl on the line 'l-l of Fis. 6, and

3 is ,o I tive view of still another it fcetion, the f f l. f., el being removed to show more clearly the channel construction.

The e reference numerals throughout the 5o several views indicate the same parts.

The present invention is embodied, in the present instance-l by way of illustration, in .s channel memberfof substantially rigid sheet material, such, for exemple, es sheetmetal formed with a plurality oi. hinged sections on certain of the walls thereo, which sections permit the channel member to be bent to curved shspe to ilt windowl frames of different curvatures.

Referring now to thedrawins,.F!ss. 5 to 'I ,so show 'a channel member of sheet mtal formedv Fis. l its e fregmentnry 'view of on automobile to provide o bottom l1 and side walls 12. The free edges or the side walls are bent outwardly and then rearwardly to form flanges 13 from the side walls l2, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. A cushioning lining, preferably inthe form of a strip of textile fabric, is arranged on the inner feces oi the bottom end side wells o! the channel, and is provided with spaced pile surfaces 15 and 16 adapted to engage the faces and side edge, respectively, of a sliding window sash, not shown., to provide a resilient support therefor. The pile surfaces are separated by breaks i7, free from pile, which permit the strip to be bent into cel form. The strip is also provided with breaks i8 on the free edges thereof 4which extend outwardly and rearwardly over the outer laces of the iles 13 and thence inwardly and forwardly between the iianges and the outer feces of the side wells l2, being cleroped in position against the w .l2 by the denses i3.

in muy or the later designs of automobiles, the top edge o2 the sli window such is arched, und when in the closed'position is received in s ly cel member secured to the top oi the window i'reme. The radii oi curvature of these cliches' src ereiitv in dierent maires of cars, end y, in lect, be diereut for the various windows ol the some car. Due, to the cults7 ol bending s. metal chemiel member 'by hund, the erched chels are usuelly drawn or otherwise formed bv the channel manufacturer to nt onsrch oi' e speciiic curvature, thus placthe channel manufacturer under c greet decl oi e in en endeavor to meet the mul tiplicity oi requirements of the automobile 'industry. As no one form oi channel con be mede on e. le scale, the unit cost oi such els is necessordv increased.

To overcome these objectionable les, th present invention provides e. new and more sstisiectory channel construction, or the class described, which may not only be standardized thus produced in large quantities et' s. reduced cost, but which is adapted to dt env srch between @reasonable maximum radius ol curva.- ture end s straight line. To provide this desirsble lecture', the metal channel is formed with s. plurality oi slots which extend transversely of und which divide the channel member into s.

vplurality ol substantially independent channel shaped portions. The slots do not, however,

completely sever the channel member, but are preferably terminated at suitable points to provide thin flexible webs which hingedly connect the portions, and which permit them to be moved relative to eachother to provide a flexible chan" nel member adapted to be mounted on window,

opposite side of the channel to form pairs of slots which divide the channel into substantially independent channel-shaped portions 21, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The ends of the slots extend inwardly a short distance across the bottom 1l, and are terminated, short of each other to provide thin flexible webs 22 therebetween which connect thel portions 21. These websV provide hinged connections on the .back of the channel member between the portions, and permit the latter to be moved relative to each other to vary the curvature .of the channel member. The cushioning lining extends the full length of the channel, and, due to its elastic character, provides a smooth continuous surface :gr all degrees of curvature of the channel lmem- By means of this arrangement, the channel may be standardized and is adapted to be used on either a fiat or arched window fr'ame. If the channel .is to be mounted on a straight or flat surface, it is secured thereto in the same manner as the usual form of metal channel. When,

however, the channel is to be mounted on a' curved or arched window frame, each web 22 is "bent so that the portions 21 may be moved relative to each other to conform to the curvature of the frame, the amount of bending depending on the degree of curvature.

Fig. 8 shows another form vof channel construction having a bottom 11a and side walls 12a, the

free edges of which are bent outwardly to form,

flanges 13a arranged to receive and hold a cushioning lining of the type illustrated in Fig. 7. and heretofore described. In this embodiment, the channel member is provided with slots 20a which preferablyextend across the bottom 11a for the full width thereof, and substantially the full height of the sides 12a to subdivide the vchannel into substantially independent channelshaped portions 21a,l as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8. The slots are preferably terminated short of the free edges of theV sides 12a to provide flexible members or .webs 22a which 1 connect the portions l21a along the free edges of the channel. The webs provide flexible hinged sections or Joints on the side walls of the channel member, and permit the portions to be-moved relative to each other to vary the degree of curvature of thechannel member.

In the modiiicationshown in Figs. 3 and 4, the.

channel member is similar. to those above described and is formed to provide a bottom` 11b.-

and side Walls 12b the free edges of which are rolled outwardly and rearwardly `to form flanges 13b arranged to receive and hold the free edges of a cushioning lining of the type illustrated in fFig. 7. To enable this channel memberto bereadily Vbent or flexed, the sides 12b ofthe channel are provided with pairs of oppositely dis--l posed slotsu 2Gb. These slots have portions therevoi'which extend upwardly along the sides 12b and preferably terminate short of the free edges thereof to provide flexible webs or connecting sections 22h similar to the web 22a, Fig. 8, while other portions' of the slots extend inwardly a .short distance across the bottom 11b, and are terminated short of the ends` of the complementary slots to provide flexible webs 22e therebetween, similar to the webs 22, Figs. 5 to '1. In addition to the slots 20h, the channel is also .provided with a, plurality of slots 20c-disposed on the bottom4 11b intermediate the planes of the slots 20bas best shown in Fig. 3. 'Ihe slots l20c extend substantially the full width of the bottom 11b and have the ends thereof substantially in the planes of the ends of the. slots 20h, as clearly'illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. By means of this arrangement of slots, the channel is not divided into substantially independent portions, such as shown in Figs. 5 to 8, thus provi ling a more rigid channel construction. The slots 20h andV 20c, however, provide means foi` weakening the channel so that the latter may be flexed to vfit window openings of diiferent curvatures. the webs 22h and 22e acting as hinge sections to facilitate such flexing.

It is apparent from the above description that the present invention provides a simple. inexpen- 'sive channel construction of pleasing appearance,

which is adapted to be readily and easily bent or flexed without buckling or kinking to'fit window frames of different curvatures. i

While certain embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive idea may be carried out in a number of ways. This application is therefore not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to cover all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the inventionor the scope of the appended claims.

l I claim: -1

1. A window channel comprising a channel 11.5 member of substantially rigid sheet material having a bottom and side walls, said bottom having 'a plurality of transverse slots, said sides having transverse slots intermediate the planes ofthe slots on said bottom, said slots providing a means for weakening said member to permit the latter to be nexed to vary the curvature thereof,V and a cushioning lining for said member. i

2. A window channel comprising a channel member of substantially rigid sheet material having a bottom and side walls, said bottom having a plurality of transverse slots extending substantially the full width thereof, said sides having pairs of oppositely disposed slots intermediate the planes vof said first mentioned slots, each of the slots on said side. walls having a partextending substantially the fullheight of the side wall and terminating short of the free edge thereof, and another part extending inwardly across said bottom, said slots facilitating the flexing of said member to vary the curvature thereof, and a cushioning lining for said member.

3. A window, channel comprising a channel member of substantially rigid sheet material having a bottom and side walls, said bottom'h'avingl 140 -said slots providing means for weakening said member to facilitate vthe exing thereof to fit window openings of different curvatures.

Y CHARLES?. SCHLEGEL. 

